Overlord of Death
by AkumaKami64
Summary: Grim Senior put up with a lot of crap in his unlife. But his son, Junior, introduced him to the stress relieving world of Yggdrasil, where he led the greatest guild in the game as Momonga. When the servers were to shut down, sad as it was, he finds his avatar is real, as is the entire Tomb of Nazarick, and a whole new world is waiting for him now. Epic, badass, dark Grim-is-Momonga
1. Day One I

Grim Overlord

Disclaimer: I don't own Grim Tales or Overlord

Summary: Grim Senior put up with a lot of crap in his unlife. His son, Junior, introduced him to the stress relieving world of Yggdrasil, where he led the greatest guild in the game as Momonga. When the servers were to shut down, sad as it was, he finds his avatar is real, as is the entire Tomb of Nazarick, and there is a whole new world waiting for him. Epic, badass, dark Grim-is-Momonga

Regular Speak

 _Thoughts and Flashbacks_

 **Demonic or Animalistic Speak**

 _ **Demonic or Animalistic Thoughts**_

Beta: Dragon_Wizard91

Grim Reaper Senior, King of the Underworld, loved being a father. Unlike Mandy, who would never admit such a thing out loud, he had no issue showing fatherly affection and interest in his children's lives. Particularly Junior's, but that was mainly because Grim could relate to his heir better than Minnie. It wasn't even the whole "not a skeleton" thing, it was Junior's whole underdog status! It was like him and Mandy all over again- the older, disrespected skeleton being shown up by the younger little monster-child. True, it wasn't as bad and Minnie didn't rub it in Junior's face like Mandy did, but it was still there. It made a Reaper feel very hateful of the worlds and those in them. There were times Grim thought about just kicking back, going on vacation and just letting the cosmos go into an apocalyptic mess without him doing his job. Hell, even if Mandy tracked him down, she might just join him instead of dragging him back.

Where was he? Oh, right, Junior.

Grim would gladly admit one fault of his and that was often not keeping up with the times more than he had to. So Grim Junior, much more attuned to the modern era than his mother was, proved to be a very helpful little guide into a lot of things. Even back when he just stopped being a toddler, he was already figuring out how to play video games. Grim wondered if Mandy knew how many of those scrolls and tomes he read were actually perfectly disguised comics, novels, manga, hentai, and even an IPad?

Grim was on Junior's side of things in terms of taste: he didn't care for the Victorian stuff when Victoria was on the throne, let alone now. Still, that was Minnie's choice, he couldn't really complain with his cliché cloak( _I invented de cliché, dammit!_ ) and Jamaican accent. This new stuff was far more interesting…especially these video games. Mortals certainly knew how to come up with interesting ways to make repetitive killing fun. And they even got into making entire virtual realities. Dive Games they called them. True, the worlds weren't perfect in their creations, as the senses weren't properly conveyed from the virtual world to one's mind, but they were still impressive.

Between the continued lack of respect he received, his annoyance with Underworld politics, the stress of his job at times and the numerous issues he still had with his wife? Grim was glad for the escape his son and heir revealed to him. Sure, he stumbled and fell a lot figuring this gaming stuff out, but at least he was on equal terms with everyone else in that regard. As Junior said, _Everyone Was A Noob Once._

Back when Junior was seven- a smarter seven year old than Mandy suspected, in Grim's opinion- they had both gotten into a new Dive Game, a Dive Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game to be precise, or DMMORPGs to save a few breaths. This one was called Yggdrasil, after the Norse world tree. Grim had gotten into it because, unlike most games, you could play as a skeleton…and not just any skeleton, but a lich. In terms of the game, this was pretty damn close to a Reaper and potentially a good equivalent of what the Grim Reaper could do.

Then something happened that Grim wasn't expecting. He made friends, friends that saved his virtual life on many occasions. Chief among them was and Grim still couldn't believe this name or say it with a straight face, Touch Me. He had and still wanted to kick the otherwise honorable player for picking such a name- and how long had he been playing to have that name?! Because Grim had long ago figured out most simple names were taken up within the first year or two, be they good or bad.

With them, they had formed a group strictly for the Heteromorphic races, the monstrous ones essentially. Originally Nine's Own Goal, it was remade into a true guild as Ainz Ooal Gown...

...And, somehow, he got named as Guildmaster, something that shocked him to this day. It was strange to him, that he enjoyed leading this group of gamers more than he had enjoyed being Death in a long time and certainly more than he did being the so-called King of the Underworld. With them, they built the Great Tomb of Nazerick, a guild so powerful that over a thousand players and NPCs could not defeat the power of Ainz Ooal Gown. A guild that had become Yggdrasil's face of evil. A group that also, interestingly enough, required them to be productive members of society. Though Grim lied his way through that, he was pretty sure being Death counted as productive.

There was never a day Grim regretted becoming a father. It was one of the best decisions he could honestly say he ever made. Still, there were some days he was more grateful to have Junior around than others.

Unfortunately, as a certain mercenary once said, life is an endless series of trainwrecks with only brief commercial-like breaks of happiness. And, unfortunately, being Death didn't fully exclude him from that.

Hence, tonight would be the final night before the Yggdrasil's serves were shut down, the company having fallen on hard times as of late.

Thus, Guildmaster Momonga, the Overlord of Death, sat almost completely alone in the council room of the Great Tomb of Nazerick. Forty-one chairs of a round table, thirty-nine of them empty.

"It's being a while, Herohero," Grim greeted, a smile-face icon by his avatar. He had decided to distort his voice slightly and keep his accent to a minimum in the gaming world, less some other tech-savvy Underworldian figure out who he was. There weren't a lot of immortals with a Jamaican accent and the Lich thing would definitely give it away.

"Too long, Momonga," The purple slimy avatar of Herohero greeted in a happy yet tired voice,

"Two years, in fact," Momonga mused.

"Has it really been that long? Ohh, that's bad, my sense of time is all messed up with all my work," Herohero lamented, shaking his head in disbelief of himself.

"I'd say that's a bad symptom, but I've been there many times," Grim assured, remembering his more lackluster decades as a Reaper, "Try not to let it drag you too down, Mon."

Herohero's body bubbled a bit, the game's way of physically showing laughter for a slime, "Same to you," he said, audibly yawning a bit- that was one little detail they never included, "Oi, I have get off soon. I'm sorry to say this, but I am too sleepy," He apologized.

"Oh," Grim said, a bit disappointed, but he didn't let it show, "Well, rest well. Who knows, I might find you in another game."

Herohero sent a sleepy-smiley face at that, "We can only hope. Still, it was good to see you again, and this old place," He added on, looking around at the pristine room fondly, "I didn't think it'd still be around..."

Grim had a bittersweet smile at that, though his avatar didn't show it, "I took being a Guildmaster very serious, right up until de end," He said with a bit of pride, fist to chest.

Herohero chuckled a bit at that, "We were very happy to have you leading us, Momonga. My one regret? We didn't try to finish this off by taking over all Yggdrasil in a Bad-End type fashion," He joked lightly, "Ulbert would have wanted that."

Grim laughed loudly at that, "Yeah, Goat-face would have loved that. Still, can't have everything we want."

Herohero yawned again, "I'll be heading off now. Thanks again, Momonga. And do try to have some fun in your last time as the Overlord of Nazerick. We more or less left everything in your care, so you should enjoy the final moments if no one else will," He suggested, a bit out of it and rambling.

Grim chuckled soberly at his online friend's action, "Goodbye, Herohero," He said, waving him off as he vanished, logging off, "Have some fun, eh?" Grim muttered with a scowl, feeling the silence wash over the room, " _FOOKING_ **DAMMIT!"** He yelled, slamming his boney fist on the table, "All dat time, everyding we put inta dis, an now it's all jus goin ta be gone!?" He yelled in frustration, pausing before letting out a bitter laugh, "Look at me, Mon. De Grim fooking Reapa an I'm lamentin de end of a video game! _**Ha!**_ " He said, both saddened and amused by this whole thing.

Oh how this game had changed him. Mandy _**"may"**_ make him a better reaper, compared to his years just prior to meeting her, but this little escape brought more enjoyment to his unlife than anything else had in a longtime- barring being a father, of course.

He smiled as he calmed down, standing from his chair, "I suppose this is close to what being mortal feels like, the inevitable end encroaching on you with no possible escape," He mused as he approached the wall where their guild item floated, "The Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. We spent a shitton on this little bugger. Lost a lot of guild members doing dat and de rest of dem designed it to my style. I know I'm de Guildmaster and all, but I still couldn't believe it. Even if I never got to use it in a battle, dat was probably the greatest gift I ever got. And I'm countin me Scyth in that," Grim mused as he grasped it, causing an aura of red-black screaming faces erupted from the top, but only for a second, "I may not use you, but I'm certainly going ta be holdin ya when the cloak runs out," He decided as he headed to the exit.

He hummed as he saw a line of seven NPC servants, designed by his guild mates. All of them were female and in maid outfits, save one lone butler.

Grim chuckled a bit as he saw the old-looking man, "I still can't believe Touch named ya Sebastian. Well, Sebas Tian," Grim said with an eye roll before glancing to the rest, "The Pleiades Combat Maids," Grim mused fondly, remembering all the fun and perverted jokes that flied around when making these NPCs, "Shame you lot neva got any action, with nobody being strong enough to get to the throne room. Speaking of, come on, Follow," He ordered offhandedly as he continued his walk, the NPCs falling into line behind him robotically.

"Well, Herohero did tell me ta have some fun. Might as act like a badass Overlord of Death one last grand time," Grim decided with a small smirk as they reached their destination, opening the doors to reveal the beautiful yet ominous throne room of Nazerick. Complete with spooky blue chandeliers, the flags of all the guild members proudly displayed as if to salute whoever entered and a throne that would put the Iron Throne to shame in Grim's personal opinion.

And there, at the top of the steps, was perhaps the most alluring figure in all of the Great Tomb: Albedo, the horned and ebony haired fallen angel, clad in a white outfit that only accented her every feature. Grim had seen more than one male player die due to being distracted by the initial sight of her, "I still rememba dat one time we got drunk and ordered her to guard the first floor for a change," Grim said with a laugh as he approached the throne…his throne, "We did it a few more times just for laughs when some noobs tried dier luck. Ohh, old Squid face loved that," He mused as he turned to his following of NPCs, "Hmm, Stand By, right?" He tried, getting a synchronized set of bows as they stood to one side, "...If I wasn't Death, I might find that syncro-bowing thing creepy," He commented as he took his seat.

He liked to imagine he was really there: The almighty Overlord of Death, sitting on his throne with his obedient and VERY badass servants awaiting his every command.

His eyes trailed over to Albedo again with a curious intent behind them, "What did Tabula make out her character to be like?" He pondered, having not had much to do with Albedo in a long while. With a hum and a tap of the finger, he accessed her character settings and deadpanned in real life, "Dammit, Squidy, you always over detailed these things. It's like reading one of those Terms and Agreement things," Grim muttered in annoyance as he scrolled through it rapidly until he reached the end.

His brain went full stop as he saw the last line.

 _She is a bitch._

 _A Bitch_

 _ **Bitch.**_

 _'FOOK THAT!'_ Grim thought with thunderous annoyance as his eyebrows, or lack thereof, started twitching, _'I already have one bitch in me unlife! I don't need one in my virtual one!'_ He mentally declared as he used the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown to allow him to change her settings, "Tabula, I'm sorry Mon, but I will tell ya everyding if ya ever find out about dis...unless ya laugh it off, of course," Grim muttered to himself as he erased that horrid line, "Hmm, should I put someding in?" He wondered, glancing up at her smiling face again, "...Oh, ta hell wid it," Grim decided as he typed in her new setting.

 _She is deeply in love with Momonga._

Grim chuckled to himself as he put in the new setting, "Haha, can't believe I did dat!" He commented to himself, looking towards Albedo, her fellow NPCs behind her, "Bow down," He ordered casually as they obeyed, all going to one knee with one hand over their hearts, "Also can't believe that was an actual command," He added fondly as he reclined back in his throne, taking in the grand room once more.

He knew the name belonging to the emblems on every flag. Tabula, Herohero, Peroroncino, Variable Talisman, his own. All forty-one of them, hanging proudly, as if in defiance of the silent end coming towards them.

"Hmm, clock is almos midnight in Japan, so it's about three hours until noon by Mandy's clock," He mused, still amused that Mandy was stubborn enough to go by the earth time zone she was accustomed to while in the Underworld, "De kids'll be wakin up soon. Guess I could ask Junior about anyding new he's foun lately," Grim mused, eyeing the clock on his HUD. He had only a minute left.

"Haha! It was a good run!" Grim declared with a bittersweet laugh as the last few seconds slipped away, "A good run...," He repeatedly softly as he waited for the game to dissolve and servers to shut down.

"...Wha de fook?" Grim asked after half a minute of waiting.

A human would have said those words over the fact that the game hadn't ended, wondering if the time had been pushed back some or if their clock was off.

But as he was the Grim Reaper, he had a different reason for doing so.

 _'My powas...I can feel dem! In dis form!'_ Grim realized with a gaping jaw, looking over his hand which was now covered in deathly energy that only he(and a few others) could see, _'I shouldn't be feelin anyding at all in dis form, let alone my powers!'_ He mentally yelled, sticking out his finger to see if he could summon his console, to no avail. He almost growled to himself as he put his hand down in confusion.

"Is something wrong, Lord Momonga?" A lovely female voice asked in concern, grinding every bit of Grim's thoughts to a screeching halt

His now-red eyes glanced over to the kneeling form that was Albedo, seeing her confused and concerned face as she curiously tilted her head.

He could sense her, now that he bothered to think about it. The life force of a fallen angel was a very distinct thing to any that knew how to sense it, and here it was.

Albedo was alive and the fact that she was acting beyond the parameters of an NPC just made that all the clearer.

Grim was several eons old. So, unsurprisingly, he didn't freak out too much, "Hmm, something is amiss," He commented in a curious yet cautious tone as he rose from his throne, "Sebas! Go to the surface and check on the surroundings of Nazerick," He ordered in a strict tone that told Sebas that he was wary of something.

"Yes, Lord Momonga," The butler-style servant answered as he stood, leaving to do as ordered.

"Pleiades, head to the ninth floor and stand guard there until further notice," Grim commanded. The first order had been for legitimate concern of what the situation was. This was just to get the room empty.

"As you wish, Lord Momonga," Yuri answered, leading them out.

Alone with Albedo, Grim brought a bony hand up to rub his chin, _'Not de strangest ding I've eva seen...but definitely top ten,'_ He mentally mused, the pin-point lights that were his eyes shifting back to Albedo- something he had been doing a lot today, he realized, _'Dere are many beings who could suddenly bring a game ta life and some who could do it wid plannin-I migh not be de only immortal playin dis game dan,'_ He mused with a scowl- not that it showed, he realized, remembering how limited his avatar was with facial expressions, _'De question becomes, what is dis abou? De game? Me? An how much of de game is real now?'_ Grim pondered to himself.

"Lord Momonga? Is something troubling you? Do you need anything?" Albedo asked, still kneeling obediently with that adoring glint in her eyes.

Grim gave her a silent motion to rise as he retook his seat before answering her, "I sensed something. What, I am not sure yet, Albedo," He mused evenly, eyeing her suspiciously and intently, _'Besides bein a fallen angel, none of me senses are screamin anydin like min control or soulless puppet. Someone high on de food chain got involved in dis. An if dey're tryin ta mess with me, dey're at least smart enough ta not try stuff like dat...Baaah! Mandy's paranoia has rubbed off on me...Unlike the rest of her,'_ He mentally rambled.

"Could it be an intruder?" Albedo asked, notably tensing.

"If it is, they don't have any lethal intent- even weaklings will cause some form of it. It may be nothing important though, possibly just some echo of a distant magical clash reaching my senses," Grim answered carefully with a hum.

"You are truly magnificent, My Lord, to have such an awareness," Albedo praised with a smile.

"One like me often forgets such things are unique, as I do not recall a time I was without it," Grim mused, mentally chuckling a bit, _'Fook, I soun way too long winded, talkin like dat. Dial it back a notch, Grimmy ol'boy,'_ He thought to himself, "Albedo, come here," He requested bluntly. If any of his forms had skin, he might have blushed a bit at that…maybe.

Albedo's expression lit up like it was Christmas at that command, "Yes!" She answered, coming right up to the Throne of Kings, bending forward to look him in the eyes with an expression of love and devotion that was damn near-

 _'Oh, fook it,_ **DAT** _is downright worship!'_ Grim decided as he looked into her golden eyes, _'Tabula, may ya forgive dis old bag of bones for defiling yer creation...repeatedly,'_ Grim thought to himself with a chuckle, "Albedo, hold still for a moment," He requested, getting an eager affirmative as he reached out to grasp her wrist, making her gasp with a grin on her flushed face.

 _'Hmm, my sense of touch hasn't diminished any and I dink my non-existent nose actually works betta dan before,'_ Grim mused, sweat-dropping as Albedo continued to shiver under his skeletal touch, _'She is eider_ _ **waaaay**_ _to sensitive or she be waaaay too into me...I have nodin against eider,'_ He mentally commented in amusement as he released her, leaving her panting as he turned his mind elsewhere for a bit, 'Mandy has made it clear she doesn't need me ta run our slice of de Underworld. Minnie is getting along fine with Nergal Junior,' He thought with a brief scowl, _'As for Junior...I'd know if dat boy was in trouble. And Mandy, loathed as she is to admit it, has a soft spot fer de boy. De res of de cosmos can go fook demselves fer a bit. So, while I do need ta fin a way home...I dink I can afford ta take my time a bit. Assuming I can't jus porta outta here. Plus, even if gettin back is day easy, I wanna know how dis happened,'_ Grim mused, torn between amusement, annoyance, happiness, concern, and curiosity.

"Albedo," He addressed again, not sure if he should be amused or face palming at how eager she looked, "Tell the floor guardians to gather at floor six's arena in an hour, except for Gargantua and Victim."

"As you wish," Albedo accepted with a bow and smile, leaving to fulfill his order while leaving Grim to contemplate his thoughts and plans.

 _'Okay, firs of, establish if de guardians are truly alive or jus puppets. I jus need ta see'em fer dat. Secon, assumin dey are alive and deirselves, I need ta make sure dey're still loyal ta me. Again, should be easy enough ta figure out. Dree, figure out how me game powas an reapa powas are meshin, an ta dat conclusion, wha de fook I can do in total. Four, de tricky bit, figure ou how dis happened an why. Bit more long term, bu someding ta remember. Fifth, figure outta a way back ta my own realm if dree doesn't resul wid me jus bein able ta make porta ta dere. Again, possibly long term. Six, las an mos importan, follow Herohero's advice an have some fun,'_ Grim summarized with a smirk, _'Don' worry, Squidy. Yer girl Albedo may be a bit different, bu I'll make sure dis tomb will be someding ya, Ulbert, and all de rest would be proud of. Ainz Ooal Gown still yet lives.'_

And upon the Throne of Kings, the Overlord of Death felt the dark vacancy of his heart tremble with excitement.

 **End of Chapter**

And there we go: my First Grim centerfic, my first Overlord Fic, THE first GT/Overlord fic,and one of the few fics depicting Grim as a badass.

So, yes, I have taken out canon Momonga and switched him for the Grim Reaper himself. Which means he'll take to this Overlord thing even better than canon Momonga...which is saying something really.

But, yes, Grim is still in a bit of a funk after marrying Mandy, even if he was getting married. Junior, intentionally or not, help his Dad out by giving him a break from reality(and Mandy) through various modern medias...which got Grim into video games, which lead to this, obviously.

Which leads usto the interesting questions of what other changes are going to take place compared to Overlord's canon timeline, and how is this going to effect the GT universe. Cause Mandy now has to compete with, at minimum, Albedo, and the rest of Nazarick would skin her alive if she tried her usual stuff with Grim.

On the upside, Junior now has every reason to brag about his badass father. XP

Also, while I am taking a good deal from Overlord, I will be taking the Overlord world andvery much making it my own as I go.

No QTP here, just say what you think of this chapter and your predicitons for the future.


	2. Day One II

Grim Overlord

Disclaimer: I don't own Grim Tales or Overlord

Grim had to admit he always appreciated the architecture of Nazarick but being in it gave the entire place a level of grandeur that he hadn't experienced in hundreds of yearsr; the gothic architecture, the impossibly giant areas that were essentially small micro-realm on each floor, etc. It made him nostalgic, bringing back all the memories of when he was truly The Grim Reaper, one of the abject terrors that haunted the minds of mortals and even immortals.

He was beginning to really feel like an Overlord, knowing this place was his.

Since he had an hour to spare, he had spent it tinkering with his abilities a bit. His guild ring allowed him to teleport and upon testing, he discovered he could do the same with just his powers. The results were promising, as he managed to vanish in a small torrent of flame-like shadows...

But given that he walked out into the open air, above the amphitheater of the sixth floor, it needed some work. Not to mention it burned some of his mana, no matter how small. Thankfully and conveniently, his ability to fly with his scythe transferred to the Staff, leaving him hovering rather than falling unceremoniously onto the floor of the ring.

 _'Ya, dat woulda seriously killed de mood,'_ Grim thought in annoyance. _'So, items from de game work, an me powas are mixin wid me characta's. Have ta practice a bit ta get dem unda control again, I suppose.'_

"Wow! Lord Momonga, is that you!?" a young, energetic and very loud voice called from behind him in wonder and excitement.

He turned around, his cloak whooshing a bit more than necessary and saw two elven youths on a ledge just behind him. The boyish girl was grinning in amazement while the girlish boy had his mouth open in a silent 'O', "Ahh, Aura, Mare. Just who I wanted to see," he greeted with what would be considered professional warmth.

"We'd be happy to be of service, Milord!" Aura answered eagerly, saluting with a fist over her heart.

"We are at your disposal, Lord Momonga," Mare agreed with a softer tone and a curtsy.

 _'Oi, Teapot jus had ta make a trap out of Mare,'_ Grim thought, only partially annoyed while being mostly amused...and wondering what the reverse of a trap was in Aura's case. _'Somedin ta ask Junior one day,'_ he mused as he floated down to the arena, the twins jumping down after him. Aura dropped with a few flips while Mare just cautiously hopped down.

"I didn't know you could fly without an object or spell, Lord Momonga," Aura commented in curiosity as they began to walk towards the center, looking over the liche's form for any sign of something new to explain the defiance of gravity.

"Ahh, but I do have an object, Aura," the Overlord corrected with just a touch of pride as he tapped the staff on the ground.

"The Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown," Mare whispered reverently while Aura sucked in a breath of awe as she gazed at the world-level guild weapon.

"I didn't know it had flight as an ability...," Aura managed to whisper out.

"It didn't, until today," Grim answered cryptically, "Now, if you two would get some of the dragonkin to set up some training posts? I believe it's time the Staff got some exercise."

"Aye, aye, My Lord!" both answered, Mare dutifully and Aura enthusiastically.

 _'Hmm, I can feel me own powers now, bu it be changed some. I'mma guessin dat's me havin mana like de game, bu it migh jus be de new body. So eider dis will work like de game or dis is goin ta supacharge me reapa attacks. Eider way, I win,'_ Grim theorized in his head as the draconic minions got the arena prepared with three straw dummies. The dark elves stood nearby with anticipation as he held out the staff, pouring power into it. "HELL FLAME!" he declared as a seemingly underwhelming dark fireball, no bigger than a cannonball, shot from his staff towards the masses of straw.

They all watched with anticipation and awe as it rocketed towards a target-

And unleashed Armageddon.

A vortex of hellish flames twisting about in the center of the amphitheater and reaching high above the top-most stands. The entire sixth floor shook, with the tremors echoing in the icy fifth and magmatic seventh, so great was the power. Even the nimble Aura was nearly knocked off her feet at the sheer magnitude of the quakes.

"W-what is this?!" Mare exclaimed in fear as he pulled himself up with his wooden staff, staring at the destruction taking place before his eyes...and beyond a purplish barrier, he noted.

"Apologies," Grim's voice calmly spoke, prompting the stunned twins to turn around and see their master standing there with an outstretched hand, the two dragonkin picking themselves off their feet. "It seems I...underestimated myself," he explained vaguely.

"Y-you did this, Lord Momonga? But I thought Hell Flame was supposed to only be Seventh Tier?" Aura questioned as she calmed down, staring out at the still burning mass of flames.

Grim hummed to himself, tapping the golden staff. All at once, the twister died down, leaving only a layer of flames upon a thirty foot radius of glass and molten rock, "Between my own power and the amplifications of the Staff, I overcharged it to an absurd degree," Grim elaborated as he dropped the shield, cursing in his head _. 'Ahh, fook. Shuda been expectin dat. I'm Death fer fook's sake, so of course I was actaully more powaful dan my Momonga avata. Meanin me Reapa powa an abilities are supachargin me game-based stuff. Gotta be careful wid dat or I migh destroy de whole guild base,_ ' he mentally deduced.

"T-that was a-amazing, Master! I knew you were powerful, but t-this is just incredible!" Aura gushed, gazing upon the scorched arena.

 _'Oi, at leas it was de amphitheater an not de jungle. Blue Planet woulda had me boney hide fer fooking up his nature preserve,'_ Grim thought fondly as he observed the damage with some passing guilt. He'd fix it later.

"T-thank you for shielding us, Milord," Mare said with a waist-deep bow to him.

"Oh, right, yes, thank you for your care, Master!" Aura added quickly, bowing alongside her trap of a brother.

"Eh?" Grim grunted in confusion, cocking his head at the elves. "What?"

"Umm, you teleported over to protect us, didn't you, Lord Momonga?" Aura asked in confusion, looking up but not raising from the bow.

"Of course I did. I'm just confused why you thought I wouldn't," Grim acknowledged quizzically.

"W-we're your servants, Lord Momonga. We would never desire you to be hurt on our behalf," Mare answered solemnly, appalled by the idea of the last Supreme Being hurt.

The (Over)Lord of Death stood there for a few seconds, deep in thought. Back in Grimskull, he never cared much for his skeleton servants or any of the other minions under Mandy's control; because in the end, even if he animated them, they were creatures of the Bitch Queen. Even Charles was, ultimately…even Cerberus…especially Cerberus.

His mind ran over the years Mandy reigned, not caring for any beneath her save a select few. Then his memories flashed over the years of Yggdrasil and how his guild mates had lovingly and painstakingly made every NPC in Nazarick, along with every facet of their base. And finally, of his son...his son that knew and memorized every name of the castle servants, treating every skeleton more like a person than even Grim himself did sometimes.

"...Twins, raise your heads."

The elves did so and were treated to a sight beyond words.

Momonga was on one knee, staring at them as he placed one boney yet comforting hand on each of their heads.

But the best part? They didn't know how a skeleton smiled exactly, but they knew they were seeing it.

"One thing that transcends Good and Evil is the existence of leaders," Grim started softly, having their utmost attention. "No matter their cause or goal, some leaders will throw away their underlings without thought or hesitation. Others cherish them and their devotion and are horrified at the idea of needlessly losing them."

"Lord Momonga..." they whispered with awed and glistening eyes.

"There isn't a soul loyal to Nazarick that I wouldn't save without hesitation. Especially those made by my precious comrades," Grim promised with a smile as he felt their souls through his hands. _'Dey're real. Dey be young, maybe as youn as de day Slimy Teapot made dem, bu dey are real. Deir own souls and now, deir own minds,'_ he concluded, probing for any sort of mind control. _'De only one controlin dem is me...'_

"L-lord..." By now Mare, was weeping tears of joy and Aura was wiping them away, trying not to seem sappy in front of her lord.

In another universe, someone wouldn't know how to reaction to this situation without experience as a father. But if there was one thing Grim was, a father would be it.

"Crying can never be weak if the tears are happy," Grim stated sagely.

"WAAAA!"

Grim was startled only a bit by the yell, if only from the source. He stood and turned, completely unsurprised to see the other floor guardians present, having sensed the use of the spell earlier. Albedo stood at the center, looking completely touched and even more in love than ever as she gazed upon the man and lord she loved. To her right stood the devilish Demiurge, stealthily adjusting his glasses to wipe the corners of his eyes. On the Succubus's other side was the gothic lolita known as Shalltear Bloodfallen, who had taken it upon herself to bow and prostate herself before her benevolent ruler.

The wail came from one Cocytus at the rear, sniffling as he wiped away his " _shame_ " from his lord's sight with one of his four arms.

"You're all a tad early," Grim greeted fondly.

"We felt the tremors and feared the worse, My Lord," Albedo explained softly as she inclined her head.

"Yes, apologies. I had to test some things. Some things we all need to discuss," Grim informed as he walked towards the group, the elf twins at his coattails. "So please rise, Shalltear. Unless you prefer conversing with the floor."

"Forgive me, Lord Momonga, but I could not help kneeling before the sight of your benevolence," Shalltear claimed with gracious worship as she stood and dusted off her dress.

 _'Ya know, I get de loyalty, but I be pretty fooking sure none of us designed dem to feel dis lowly before us. Den again, I'm basically deir las remainin god in deir eyes,'_ Grim privately mused as he turned around and stood before them. Any one of them could slaughter humans and other similar races on a scale of entire cities without issue. Yet perhaps the most lethal of them, a True Vampire in all her haughty petite glory did not hesitate in groveling to him. While ego boosting, it was curious to fathom their mental states.

"Even if it was on the shorty," Shalltear murmured stingingly as Aura came near her.

"Stuffed bra," Aura shot back in challenge.

 _'...Well, dere's de proof of personality an individuality,'_ Grim concluded with a minor sweat drop as the lamprey-based Vampire growled threateningly at the smirking dark elf.

"Not now you two! You're being rude in Lord Momonga's presence," Cocytus scolded before turning to said Overlord. "I apologize for my earlier outburst, My Lord."

"As I said, happy tears are not weakness," Grim reminded offhandedly as he brought his free hand to press against the side of his head to activate the message system.

"Yes, Lord Momonga?" Sebas's voice answered respectfully.

 _'Hmm, kinda figure da woul work. No one else is answerin dough,'_ Grim privately noted. "Let me guess. We're not in Helheim anymore, are we Sebas?" he deduced.

"That would be my assumption, My Lord," Sebas confirmed with his ever present stoic voice. "I've had only time to do a small search, but we are clearly some place new."

"Very well. Continue with your observations for another few minutes, to be sure of anything of note but report to the sixth floor soon. The meeting is taking place ahead of schedule," Momonga elaborated, feeling a bit bad about leaving Sebas out, but there were a few priorities.

"As you wish, My Lord."

"Is everything alright, Supreme One?" Demiurge asked with a mixture of concern and wickedness only a devil could pull off.

"No, no it is not. My suspicions appear to be correct," Grim answered ominously as he faced them fully. He paused and blinked as he found they had all come to kneel before him. _'Huh...been a long while since anyone did dat, excep ta beg fer dere lives,'_ The reaper thought to himself with a brief smirk before moving on to business. "My Guardians, by works yet unknown to me, it seems that our beloved tomb has found itself misplaced across time and space, in a new world," Grim explained, admittedly a bit on the dramatic side.

"New world?" Mare whispered in surprise as the Guardians listened in rapt attention.

"If I may, Supreme One?" Demiurge questioned.

"Yes, Demiurge, what is it?" Grim inquired to the smartest of the NPCs.

"If I may be so bold as to inquire into your wisdom, how did you come to suspect this?" Demiurge asked, clearly trying to unravel the inner machinations of the skeletal entity before him.

 _'Ya mean besides me entire game guil base comin ta life, ya smirk-happy demon?'_ Grim mused with a mental smirk. "A feeling. Literally, in this case," Momonga elaborated as he pointed behind them, to the crater he had created. "That is a product of me losing control of my magic," he answered in utter honesty, the guardians all looking taken back by the admission.

"Lose control, Lord Momonga?" Shalltear asked in shock, the idea hard to swallow.

"Don't look too surprised, Shalltear. We all do at least once. But in my case, it was the symptom of a larger issue," Grim explained, stroking his pointed chin. "My powers are tied to the world, in a matter of speaking. While going to another world does not weaken me, a sudden shift would disrupt my finer control for a time," he paused, letting that sink in. They all seemed less alarmed now, taking the words at face value. _'Which is good, since dat's all pretty true. Still, had ta get wor from Sebas to be sure, in case all of Yggdrasil became real on me,'_ he added in his skull.

"It is not a danger to your health though, Lord Momonga?" Albedo asked, looking almost devastated and heartbroken by the concept.

"Ha!" Grim reveled a bit at their surprise over his brief laugh. "No, Albedo, but for the health of all of Nazarick, I shall refrain from using the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown for some time."

He could practically feel Demiurge dissecting his words for any impossible alternate meanings or intents. Grim wasn't sure if it was his settings or just how his personality formed, but he knew he'd have to keep an eye on the devil of Nazarick.

"I see. Should I take that to mean that we are on maximum lockdown?" Demiurge questioned knowingly.

"Precisely. Even I am not sure what kind of world we have landed upon. Caution is the key, for now," Grim confirmed, his mind even graver than his words. _'Dere be plenty a worl dat coul sprou people stronga dan any of dese guardians. But I don't feel mooch yet, so de gods hopefully aren't dat active here,'_ he reasoned, knowing his arrival would be tipped off to most in the local divine community. "For right now, we will have to keep ourselves unseen to this world until we know what we are dealing with. For right now, the only Guardians permitted to leave the Tomb are Demiurge and Aura and any under them they deem needed."

"Me, Lord?" Aura asked in surprise, grinning happily.

Grim nodded decisively. "You both have numerous creatures and demons at your disposal that can perform reconnaissance without being detected and otherwise seem...somewhat normal, in most worlds."

"I see. You wish us to locate anything of interest in Nazarick's vicinity," Demiurge summarized with his ever amused look. "What should we do if we locate any humans or settlements, My Lord?"

"Do not engage and merely take note of them, for now," Grim ordered, humming as he felt the need to make the warning more urgent. "As you know, there were many in the past that looked down and sought out the inhuman races like those of Ainz Ooal Gown. If we face the same here under any form of competent order, I prefer we know of them long before they know of us," he elaborated smoothly.

"Aye, Aye, My Lord! No attacking, just observing!" Aura acknowledged with an eager salute.

"I shall have a suitable number of shadow demons and the like gathered, Lord," Demiurge answered with a bow of the head, clearly going over some plan or another in his head.

"Shalltear, you and you household are permitted upon the surface, of course, to keep watch," Grim added on after some consideration.

"Thank you, O Lord of Nazarick. None shall trespass on your glorious domain," Shalltear answered with a hand over her unbeating heart, her tone all but pure…both of delight and desire.

 _'Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac, I suppose, especially for women of their nature,'_ Grim mused mentally.

"And I, My Lord?" Albedo didn't ask so much as beg for her directives.

"While the rest of the guardians are to return to guarding their respective floors, I fear your task is far less exciting," Momonga informed with a touch of sympathy.

"Whatever you desire, I shall gladly perform," Albedo answered, just a tad bit more erotically than needed.

 _'Oi, if I was any oder race, I'd have fooked her already. Firs I gotta make sure I can still conjure up the...equipmen fer dat,'_ Grim thought in fondness and annoyance. "I need you run a test on all of Nazarick," he explained rather bluntly.

"...A test, Lord Momonga?" Albedo inquired with a head tilt, not quite sure what he meant.

"Yes. While Nazarick's magical infrastructure wasn't inherently tethered to Yggdrasil, it is entirely possible that this event has damaged or altered truly anything based in magic in the tomb. So, we need to ensure it is all functioning properly," Grim elaborated as she bowed her head.

"I see. Thank you for explaining to this humble servant, My Master. I shall verify the status of all of Nazarick as soon as possible...Forgive me, but it occurs to me I don't have access to the Treasury, Lord Momonga?" Albedo pointed out as she lifted her head again.

"You may leave that matter; I will look into it myself. Hmmm, come to think of it, this task is needlessly tedious if you must transverse all of Nazarik, repeatedly if an issue arises," Grim realized as he held out his hand towards her.

Grim sweat dropped as her hands clapped together and her eyes lit up like fireworks, gasping as a guild ring appeared in his hand. "L-Lord Momonga, i-is th-?"

Grim quickly cut off her love struck stuttering. "It is a Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown, Albedo. It seems only right that the Overseer should be able to move freely about what she oversees," he explained with a tinge of humor.

This did nothing to dismay the succubus's rampant and amorous devotion as she humbly took the item into her hands. "I am unworthy of this gift, My Lord, but I thank you for your generosity all the same."

"I can hardly call myself a proper leader if I don't properly equip my subjects," Grim deflected, dismissing the praise with a wave of his hand. _'Shoul probably give dose ou ta de oders...lata, afta Albedo's enjoyed her moment,'_ Grim mentally noted, humming in interest as he heard someone approaching. With a glance, he saw the personification of everything under the word butler. "Ahh, Sebas, you've arrived," he greeted with a small smile.

"As you commanded, My Lord," Sebas acknowledged as he sunk to one knee before the Supreme Being.

"Tell me than, what do our new surroundings look like?" Grim asked, privately dreading the answer just a little bit. Volcanic wastelands, frozen ice fields, realms of fog and darkness, a logic-less world of floating and twisting islands, a land of living eldritch flesh, or maybe-

"Grasslands, Lord Momonga."

"...Grasslands?" Grim repeated in surprise. _'Seriously? Really? W-we're actually keepin dis on de normal side?'_

"Yes, Lord. As far as the eye can see. Save minor wildlife, I can detect no lifeforms in the immediate area, nor spot any structure in the distance," Sebas elaborated.

"Hmm, not what I was expecting, but it works out for us in the end," Grim decided thoughtfully. "Aura, as I said, try to use only creatures that won't draw too much attention if spotted. I thought I might be rescinding that in more...extreme landscapes, but this is obviously not the case."

"You can count on me, Lord Momonga!" Aura saluted eagerly.

"Mare," Grim addressed, looking towards their local trap, who jerked to attention and raised his head. "I may have need of your advice and abilities in the future, if I elect to conceal Nazarick," he informed

"Conceal, Lord?" Mare questioned in confusion.

"Yes, as I mentioned, I would keep our existence unknown for now, to this world. If we are too close to any civilization, that task becomes more difficult with how much our glorious tomb stands out," he pointed out sagely. He paused, looking behind himself and upwards, eyes glowing curiously. "Hmmm?"

"Is something troubling you, My Lord?" Albedo questioned in concern.

"No, no, nothing like that. For now, you are all dismissed and may return to your floors, or your respective tasks," he reassured, mentally going over what he just sensed. 'Unless I be detectin somedin on de firs dree floors, which I don't dink I am, I believe I jus confirmed de native undead of dis worl. At de leas, dat woul imply dis worl has its own magic...bu if it's like mos worls I know, Nazarick shoul outclass dem regardless. Best be careful dough.'

Deciding to end the meeting with some dramatics, he unleashed a touch of his energy and allowed his magic to run a little wild. The effect was instant, all of the NPCs tensing up as they felt Death drawing close to them. Yet, instead of fear, they all seemed rather...excited? Eager? "Go, My Guardians, and bring pride to the name of Nazarick, of Ainz Ooal Gown!" he ordered before disappearing with a wave of his hand and a flash from his guild ring's teleportation.

 **End of Chapter**

Oi, sorry about the wait. Lot of issues in real life and writers block, majority of both cleared up recently. Still, I'm glad I waited, having seen Overlord 2 and most of Overlord 3 now. Ohhh, I have plans, so many plans for this fic.

Still, yes, Grim being Grim has already started to change things. Like the Oath of Fidelity- the Guardians got too wrapped up in Grim's leadership to remember to do that, lol.

Grimonga is cautious like Canonga, but solely because he knows that this world could be anywhere from Game of Thrones in terms of magic, all the way up to 40K and beyond. He is also not worried about the loyalty of the NPCs so much as he "was" worried they weren't real at all.

He's also more experienced and such, so he's getting everyone to work to make sure Nazarick is working, and they they know what they're up against. Not to mention, he's emotionally and mentally handling the NPCs better than Canonga did.

Also, yes, Grim being Death means he's more OP than Canon-Momonga. As he is a Reaper, THE Reaper, it warps his game ablities, allowing them to reach his level. This will cause some issues for him though, similar to overorading spells for a while.

Hope you all enjoyed this!


	3. Day Two I

Grim Overlord

Disclaimer: I don't own Grim Tales or Overlord

Grim almost felt guilty for how much he enjoyed his office room in Nazarick. Not because of all the royal furnishings and other expensive accessories, but because it was probably the least dreary and most well-lit seat of power he had ever called his own. It was surprisingly warm and inviting for the administrative room of an Ovelord of Death.

He was suddenly very grateful for Tabula's love of gap moe, likely the source of this welcome irony.

There was even a lovely maid; well, technically, there were forty-one maids. Pleadies excluded for the obvious reasons, but that was beside the point.

"Master, I've returned with the substance you desired!" the young-looking homunculus greeted as she entered, bowing her head while being careful not to spill the golden goblet in her hand as she closed the door.

"Ahh, thank you, 2ni," he said as he took the item with his long fingers, while she bowed her head and folded her empty hands.

That was legitimately her name too: Two-knee. But that wasn't important just yet. What was important, was that accepting look upon the maid's face.

"2ni, what exactly did you think I wanted this for?" Grim asked with a raised eyebrow. Or, rather, the upper rim of one eye socket reaching a centimeter higher.

The homunculus blinked in surprise, "Well, I'm not aware of any other use for it or any others vulnerable to such a poison, so I assumed you desired me to consume it myself, Lord Momonga," she answered as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

Grim almost blinked in surprise. He was Death, but he didn't get many suicides like what she was suggesting- relative to the norm, at least. "And what drove you to that conclusion, 2ni?" he asked, admittedly curious with this unintended display of loyalty.

"I assumed the Supreme One found me displeasing or required my death for reasons beyond my grasp. Regardless, I am-HUH?!"

While all the maids were different, being poised and composed before their masters was a virtue. That said, 2ni could not help gaping in shock as the Master of Nazarick drunk the cup of its toxic liquids. Granted, she knew it was nothing that could harm him, but why-

"Ahhh," Grim sighed contently, his eyes fading for a moment as he savored the taste. "A...quirk of my nature means that this particular poison has a curious effect on me," he mused, swirling some of the remains by tipping the goblet around in circles.

"O-oh?" 2ni inquired, still in shock before regaining her bearings and grace. "May this servant ask what it does, Lord Momonga?" she asked humbly.

"To give you the simplest of answers: inebriation," Grim answered before finishing the poison off.

"Inebriation?" she repeated, blinking as the words registered. "As in...?"

"Enough of this will get me drunk. But this is merely a pleasant drink to me with this amount and quality," Grim explained as he placed the goblet back on his desk. "I appreciate the loyalty, but I can assure you that you have not disappointed me, my dear," he reassured with a nod.

"M-my Lord, your words are far too kind for one like me," 2ni said with a bow of the head and a smile that she couldn't fight.

Grim rolled his eyes, unnoticeable by any, before looking thoughtful. "Tell me, would you like a new name?" he asked, very bluntly.

"Master?" her head shot up at the seemingly random and odd question. "I...would gladly be called whatever you found pleasing to address me as. I-" she cut herself off before she could overstep her boundaries.

"You merely find it odd and worry it goes against the wishes of your makers, correct?" Grim deduced knowingly, getting a submissive nod. "Tell me, what do you remember about your creation, 2ni?" he prompted patiently.

"I was created by Lord Whitebrim with aid from Lords Herohero and Coup de Grace, to act as a loyal servant to the domestic needs of Nazarick and to fulfill any desires my masters might have," 2ni answered dutifully.

"Correct, but you don't remember your naming?" Grim pushed slightly.

"Umm...Forgive me, Lord Momonga, but I don't believe anyone of us recalls how the process of being created felt or seemed like," 2ni explained, racking her brain for any better answer. But it wasn't like she and the other maids didn't talk about it and wondered. Everyone in Nazarick just...knew the Supreme Beings were their Creators, it was a simple ingrained truth in their existences.

Grim nodded in understanding. "I assumed as much. As you know, forty-one of you were created, a reflection of the number of supreme beings," Momonga started before sighing slightly. "However, while all the care of a Crafting God went into making bodies and minds, conjuring up names for all of you was another matter."

"I'm...sorry, I don't understand, Master," 2ni said with an uncertain scrunch in her brow.

"Your name, 2ni, is short for "29." Whitebrim, Herohero and Coup de Grace gave you all a number, a place holder until a better name was conceived. Some, like Fifth we kept as it sounded good as a name, while others like Cixious are a play on numbers. For you, however, a name was never decided on before the others...left," he explained, pausing it on a heavy note, before continuing. "It seems fitting for me to finish some of our incomplete work...and I'm sure those three would appreciate you having a proper name," he added on.

2ni took all this in with a bit of awe, being privy to some of the inner workings of their masters prior to their departure. It was so heartwarming and humbling to know they put such effort into all of them. That she had fallen through the cracks did not disparage her feelings. A simple homunculus maid such as herself, one of many, and she was only incomplete as far as her name? "Yes, please my Lord! Bless me with whatever name you see fit!" she answered enthusiastically as she fell to one knee.

Grim chuckled. "I will, in time. Remind me during your next day with me if I have not called for you by then," Grim mused, having to think about just what he wanted to call her. After all, it wasn't everyday he got to pick someone's name, especially one of his maids. _'Unless dey be somedin really terrible,'_ Grim thought, recalling some of the...habits of his guildmates. "Now, I believe you should answer the door and let my guest in," he advised.

2ni looked confused for the entire second-and-a-half before the knock on the door came. The maid had wide eyes, whipping her head to the door in slight amazement before bowing to Grim briefly and attending to the visitor.

Being able to sense creatures like he did was NOT a Yggdrasil based ability. True, he could sense other undead, but that was mainly it. This was entirely Reaper. As a creature of death, let alone Death Himself, the approach of all types of beings had an impression if he was curious enough to check his Death Sense.

"Thank you for seeing me, My Lord and Love," Albedo genuflected before his desk.

"Rise, Albedo. How goes the inspection of Nazarick?" he inquired.

"My Lord, since yesterday, floors four through six, along with floors nine and ten have all been entirely searched and tested with no signs of problems in their workings," Albedo answered proudly, the picture of perfect grace with her hands folded before her.

Grim stroked his chin. "That just leaves Shalltear's three floors and Demiurge's Inferno," he observed, tilting his head ever so slightly to ask an unspoken question.

"Forgive my tardiness in this task's full completion, Lord. Shalltear's underlings have been testing the various traps in the grave. As you know, some of them can be set off in combination or singularly, and all can be triggered manually. Resting the traps in the many different orders have become rather time consuming, along with respawning low-level creatures to test the inherently lethal traps," Albedo explained dutifully.

 _'...Okay, dat be a bi ovakill wid de doroughness, Woman...Women, since Shalltear is involved,'_ Grim mentally commented with a sweat-drop. "If no problems have arisen yet, I shall assume all is well there until Shalltear reports otherwise. As for Demiurge, I can already guess his delay: Between organizing the scouts with Aura and the amount of secrets his creator put into that realm, I can imagine it might take him a while. And knowing Ulbert, even Demiurge likely must be cautious in tampering with such things," Momonga deduced knowingly, fond annoyance flooding his being.

"Such things, Lord Momonga?" Albedo repeated curiously, her wings fluttering in thought for an instant.

"As the World Disaster, a being possessing the only non-World Item magic that can be considered the figurative 12th tier, Ulbert had a knack for being a bit...excessive in anything he did. Including the kinds of traps he designed into Demiurge's floor," Momonga elaborated, remembering that ultimate spell of Ulbert's. It was like Hell itself exploded…or a magic nuke.

"I see," Albedo answered calmly.

Momonga honestly wasn't sure what to make of the edge of warmth that had left Albedo's voice.

As if sensing his musing, Albedo's original tone returned in full force. "Speaking of which, as much as Demiurge wishes to complete his inspection before this day has ended, he requested I pass along his preliminary report on the surroundings of Nazarick," she informed before taking on an alluring, coy smirk as she brought her hand to her chest pulling a piece of paper from between her breasts with a flourish.

She was mildly disappointed by the lack of reaction from the Overlord of Death, who calmly took the paper. "Albedo, you're a succubus," he stated bluntly, making her blink. "I've been expecting that trick," he informed with a smirk.

Leaving Albedo slightly embarrassed but relieved that he didn't find her unappealing, Grim turned to the document…which was surprisingly brief for Demiurge.

 _"Supreme One, Lord Momonga,_

 _I apologize for this rather mediocre report, but I thought consistency would be important with Aura's less extensive vocabulary, as I am dictating her findings as well. As such, I have made a summary in the form of a list._

 _1\. We are on an open field of grassland, as observed by Sebas Tian._

 _2\. Four miles to our west is a gargantuan forest. I would give a more precise size, but it is truly massive, and we have yet to find an end to it in the west or north._

 _3\. A similar distance to the east-northeast is another forest. Due to the size of the first, dubbed the Great Forest for convivence, I am uncertain if they are the same forest yet or if this is a smaller patch._

 _4\. Both forests contain various creatures within, but nothing of notable power yet._

 _5\. Aerial scouts show that the Great Forest appears to wrap around the southern tip of a mountain range that extends far north._

 _6\. We have spotted no species of great note such as Undead, Demon, or similar Heteromorphics. Goblins and trolls appear to be common but are barely worthy of note more than humans._

 _7\. We have found humans._

 _This is the point I shall elaborate on: bordering the Great Forest roughly twenty miles to our southwest is a small village of what appears to be humans. We have found similar villages in this general direction, however, many of them have been attacked and destroyed by an unknown force. The damages range from superficial to all structures entirely burnt to ash, but no survivors have been located. These actions appear recent and, indeed, a village previously discovered had been destroyed mere hours after being discovered. My current theory is either other humans on horses, or centaurs, as we found many hoof prints through the destroyed villages._

 _Keeping in mind your intent to keep our existence concealed as long as possible, My Lord, I have already made several plans to have the remaining villages in the area conveniently destroyed in a similar manner._

 _Our scouts also have seen larger, fortified settlements, one in the south and one in the east, both over fifty miles from our location. We have only found more forest and grassland to the north of ourselves so far._

 _I hope this update has been of some aid to you._

 _Your Loyal Servants,_

 _Demiurge-_ _ **and Aura!**_

 _PS Aura believes it should be noted that, while not strong, many creatures in the Great Forest would make for good furs, leather, and similar decorations."_

Grim chuckled at Aura's rather messy signature next to Demiurge's expert penmanship. "Seems we appeared in the middle of some local crisis," he mused to himself.

"Shall we use it as a cover to remove filth that may have set up nest nearby, O Lord of Death?" Albedo asked with a cruel glint in her eye.

Grim looked up to her curiously. "Did you read this?" he questioned curiously.

Albedo blinked at the question. "No, Sire. It was a personal, preliminary report to you and you alone. But unless you direct otherwise, I receive copies of all official reports, as does Demiurge," Albedo explained, clearly worried she had either offended him by having copies or appeared incompetent by not reading this.

"No, it's best you both communicate with each other. It's just that you both have the same idea," Grim noted in mild humor before returning to the paper.

Albedo made a noise of acknowledgement, understanding how two separate entities coming to the same conclusion might be amusing. Granted, it could also annoy their Master if both only conjured up similar concepts to attempt to aid in his plans.

Grim did not hate humans. He wasn't actually evil despite his character alignment as Momonga. That said, he was not good and didn't have a great fondness for humans. He was somewhere between neutral and really not caring on the morality line, as much as he acknowledged one anyway. "Tempting, but no. No sense in doing something someone else will do for us for free. Besides, if these are humans, it'll give us an idea of how powerful or weak they are. Still, this forest interests me. Unless they normally come in that size in this region, that might indicate a powerful creature or item based in druid or life magic," Momonga continued thoughtfully. "Or it might be home to a Forest God. I've seen stranger coincidences, but we will likely see sentient or even sapient trees if that's the case."

Albedo just silently stood, marveling as her beloved master graced her with a hint of the inner workings of his great and unequalled mind as he plotted the foundation of their place in this new world.

"I'm going to assume that the Overseer and the Defense Combat Master converse often?" Grim questioned rhetorically.

Albedo looked taken aback by the sudden question, her mind going far, far into the wrong direction. "Lord Momonga, I swear in your name and the name of my creator that there is nothing going on between me and Demiurge!" Albedo stated quickly, her face horrified at the thought that the skeleton before her might think her unfaithful. "If you wish to check my-"

"Albedo!" Grim yelled sharped with his hands raised in a calming, placating manner. _'Wai, back up, check woot, exactly? Maybe shoulda le dat go on a bi furder, mon,'_ he thought,curious despite himself. "I am not implying anything. I merely want to know if you talk with Demiurge often. I will be meeting with him soon, I've little doubt, but I may not. I have some experiments to run on my power to help them...reconnect with this world, so to speak. And I have some new instructions for him that I'd rather he not misinterpret due to poor phrasing on a subordinate's part," Grim explained.

His age well over seven digits, Grim liked to say that he had run into just about every type of personality at least once by now. And Demiurge was the kind to read too deeply into things if given the chance. Handling him would be an interesting long-term experience...but handling Albedo would be much more amusing and enjoyable.

"Ohhh! Forgive me, My Lord, for falsely assuming your intentions!" Albedo pleaded with a bow, giving a generous view of her breasts.

Grim honestly found it funny that this was genuine apologizing and not an excuse to seduce him more. "Albedo, let me make this clear for future references," Momonga stated, resting his head against his knuckles as she looked up while rising. "You are EXTREMELY attractive, and I am bluntly aware that you have no desire for anyone else but me," Grim informed clearly. He was tempted to tell her that he knew because he wrote it into her soul, basically, but he felt a little too early for that. She might not respond well to that. Or she might not care.

Personalities types weren't perfect for predicting every individual.

Albedo stood up straight with a delicate blush on her too-wide grin, rubbing her hands together as she seemed to coo, swoon and possibly orgasm right there. "T-thank you, Lord Momonga! You have no idea the relief and joy it gives me, to know I am appealing to the man I love!" she declared before bowing again.

Grim glanced to 2ni, standing patiently by the door, and waiting to be needed. She seemed to understand his mock-exasperation with the Overseer, smiling awkwardly while mouthing an apology on Nazarick's behalf for Albedo's over-the-top behavior.

 _'No apology needed,'_ Grim decided. Truthfully, until he saw it interfering with her job, he was going to keep getting chuckles out of this...fangirl of his, he supposed Junior would label Albedo. "Albedo?" he prompted patiently.

"Hm? O-oh, yes, your orders for Demiurge!" she remembered quickly, standing upright to be sure to receive them properly. "What do you wish of your servants, Lord Momonga?"

"I want Demiurge to focus part of his scouting efforts on finding the group attacking the villages and any other sign of an armed force. That is all, really. If someone is on the attack, someone else normally is or will be trying to defend," Grim explained simply. "And make sure to emphasize the " _ **find**_ " part. I don't want him to slaughter a deployment or kidnap anyone his creatures find."

"...Lord Momonga, I don't mean to question-" Albedo started softly, Grim casually waving her on with a hum of acknowledgement. "Are these vermin really worthy of such note?" she asked, practically spitting the word vermin.

"Now, Albedo, I doubt our rodent based denizens would be too happy to be compared to humans," Grim pointed out in jest.

Albedo smiled warmly at the jest. "Apologizes, my lord, for giving such praise to filth and thank you for correcting me," she said in an inviting voice full of double meanings.

 _'Yea, I'mma sure dere are a few ways ya wan me ta be correctin ya,'_ Grim mentally quipped, perceiving the slightest sway in her hips.

She noticed he noticed, her eyes glowing pleasantly.

 _'Really nee ta figure ou how ta conjure a penis in dis form,'_ Grim reminded himself before coughing to change the subject. "Albedo, I will admit that I doubt the humans here are of much power. However, we must be wary and observe first, just in case. As you remember, many of Ainz Ooal Gown's enemies were human," he pointed out, remembering the various players that had been a thorn in the guild's side at one time or another. "More to the point, you are both right on a basic level: If this is truly a war of some scale, we will have many opportunities to perform certain actions and operations that will ultimately be blamed by each side on the other. More importantly, we need to know more about this world just to ultimately decide what to do."

And Grim preferred to know what side of a war he would be helping or hindering for future reference. While he didn't particularly care for ideology or causes, it was still the principle of the matter.

"I understand perfectly, My Lord," Albedo assured warmly, and he wondered if she would even admit to not understanding his explanations. "Is there any other way I might be of service to you, Lord Momonga?" she inquired eagerly, a less than subtle sway to her hips.

Grim kept his chuckles to himself. "No, Albedo, that will be all. I have some power to test, grapple with, and reign in," he stated before activating his Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown, leaving a (not so) slightly disappointed Albedo in his wake.

To the reaper's pleasant surprise, the ring brought him to the edge of the very surface of the Great Tomb. It hadn't done that in the game, as it " _technically_ " didn't count as part of the dungeon/guildbase. But it made sense in a more real setting for the figurative front lawn to be in the item's range.

Looking up from the ring, he found himself under a beautiful starlit sky _. 'Tis beena long time since me sockets saw de sky like dis. Amazin wha a lack of ligh polution can do fer ya stargazin,'_ he mused with a small smile. Stars were always funny to him. He knew exactly which ones were already dead, with their final dying lights still arriving for many years after their deaths. Of course, that didn't matter much in the twenty-first century on Earth with skies being obscured so much by artificial lighting and pollution.

"Well, no use just standing here," he commented to himself as he turned to the empty field of grass just outside Nazarick. "Nothing nearby to sense this, but just to be sure-" he paused to clap his skeletal hands together, the sound echoing. "-Grand Obscurance!" he bellowed, his deathly black aura expanding over the area like a sphere before vanishing from the naked eye. _'Huh...I know I said that in Latin, but it sounded like English. Strange,'_ he mused to himself before shrugging it off. "Now, let's get this under way," he declared to himself as he held a hand, "Reality Slash!"

He watched in curious fascination as the attack hurtled through the air. Normally, it was simply a bright white line that appeared to leave a cut in even in the very air when it impacted. But his was different. It was curved and thick, a swirling blade of purple that was not unlike a scythe. It nicked the ground but bounced and skipped before impacting. It twisted into the ground viciously before disappearing with a burst. Grim examined the damage intently, curious over this evolution. The ground where the attack "bounced" had a vicious gash in it, but the true impact sight looked like a blender had been taken to it. Dozens upon dozens of little cuts tore into the dirt around the final, large "tear" ground.

 _'I dink I jus reaped a bita reality itself,'_ Grim commented to himself at the unexpected upgrade. He was glad he had opted against training with any of his minions or he might take their souls out by accident. "Now, how about something a bit smaller: Magic Arrows!" he declared as a black arrow formed in front of his outstretch hand-

 _ ***SQWICH!***_

-and vanished into the distance. Grim sweat-dropped as he "felt" the attack impact with the ground ten seconds after launching. _'Note ta self, attemp ta learn how ta snipe wid magic arras,'_ he mentally filed away. That spell was supposed to be first tier, but he clearly overcharged it into tier three. The only reason he tried Reality Slash, a tenth-tier spell, was that it devoured his mana in terms of cost, so it was easier to control how much he overcharged it.

He was a bit worried about triggering the End of the World with Super-Tier spells now.

"Lord Momonga!"

"Hm?" he turned about and found two vampire brides running towards him with a certain gothic lolita flying between them. Or, she would be a gothic lolita if she wasn't in her Bloody Valkyrie armor. "Ahh, Shalltear. I assume by that armor my training startled you," he greeted, raising an eyebrow at the battle-ready guardian as her underlings bowed to the Overlord.

Shalltear looked sheepish and apologetic, her attire glowing briefly before being replaced by her normal outfit. "Apologies, My Master. I feared we might be under attack, even after I realized it was your great power at work."

Grim waved her off. "Don't apologize, you are merely guarding our home as ordered. Unfortunately, after what happened prior to our meeting, testing my powers and rehoning my control back into proper control is best done out here," he elaborated offhandedly. "I hear testing all of the alternate traps on your floors has become a bit of a hassle?" he probed in amusement.

Shalltear blushed in shame, feeling more disappointed in herself than he ever could no doubt. "No- Well, that is I don't- I mean, I am deeply sorry for wasting your time, My Master. I will make every effort to fulfill my inspec-"

"Shalltear," he spoke up, his voice alone silencing her. "I am not upset. You are not a disappointment. Now stop imagining reasons to be ashamed of your work and tell me what the trouble is," he instructed firmly.

Hearing the lack of judgement in his voice made the vampiress sigh as she released her shame but not her disappointment. "As you know, Lord Momonga, the first three floors are very...customizable, I believe is the word Lord Peroroncino used. All the teleportation traps can be linked to several different trap rooms, several of the rooms can merge to unleash more waves of traps or forces on enemies, etc. We have been testing all the many combinations as possible, but the time it takes to reset the room is becoming tedious...and I am running short on low-class, replaceable creatures to use as test subjects," she explained with some, almost childish, embarrassment.

"...I'm going to assume you have tried every singular trap and all double combinations?" Grim theorized with a sweat-drop.

"A-and most of the triple-combinations!" she assured quickly.

He smiled a boney smile, patting her on the head, prompting her to stiffen in delight. "Then you can rest easy once those are done. We can assume that if Nazarick can handle that much rapid change from your tests, it can handle any settings it can feasibly be set to," he assured.

"A-are you sure, Lord Momonga?" she asked, trying not to smile too much under his attention.

"Yes, Shalltear. Besides, anything that can survive multiple triple-layered traps from the Grave Floors is likely going to get by anything else on those floors, yourself excluded," he pointed out simply.

Shalltear nodded in understanding. She knew very well that her floors were something known as Filter, removing all the least worthy and annoying of filth that dared to trespass in the Great Tomb, and herself destroying or weakening all of the true threats for her fellow guardians to finish disposing of if she failed too.

"Very well, My Lord. I shall leave you to your training," Shalltear said preparing to leave with a curtsey-

-only find a skeletal hand on her shoulder. "Stay a bit, Shalltear. I could use the company," he instructed kindly.

Shalltear blushed once more, for entirely different reasons. She turned her head to address the two lesser vampires behind her. "Leave us. Continue the work," she instructed sharply. They bowed quickly, departing from their Mistress and Overlord. The Guardian of the Graves smiled up at her master. "Thank you, Lord Momonga, for bless me wi-"

"I am not about to ravish you," he cut off bluntly, eliciting a disappointed pout. "You do realize I am a skeleton?" he reminded with a raised eye socket.

Shalltear blinked, tilting her head at the strange statement. "My Lord, you are a Supreme Being and an undead of the highest magical order regardless. I have no doubt that you could conjure a way to experience sexual bliss if you deigned to," she answered, clearly confused by the mute point.

He chuckled at that. "I am pleased that is obvious, but given that my powers are all in flux, I have to...relearn how to become intimate with someone," he explained delicately. Shalltear made a noise of deep understanding. "Don't tell anyone. Albedo is proving to be as amusing as she is beautiful in her pursuits of me," he requested, fondness and playfulness all over his voice.

Shalltear was a bit jealous of the physical approval her lord had for Albedo but took this cherished moment as a victory. After all, it was an honor to be seeing another side of her lord like this. Albeit, she did have some desire to see him crushing his foes, but that was her Blood Frenzy talking for the most part. "As you command, Lord Momonga. Still, I am glad that you are pleased with your servants," she said in the most honest relief Grim had heard in decades.

Grim mulled a notion in his head over several times before giving it a " _fook it_ " to the situation. "Shalltear, there is something of a mystery about our home I would like you to help me with," he stated idly as he looked out over the grass fields around Nazarick.

"Mystery, my lord?" Shalltear asked in surprise, wondering what could be unsolved by his matchless intelligence and wisdom.

"I have some strong theories, but I believe you can shed some much-needed light on it," he continued, feigning idleness perfectly. "Why are you so relieved?"

"...Lord Momonga?" she inquired, uncertain by the meaning as her brow scrunched.

"Every time I assure someone I'm not upset, every time I send a message, and every time one of you lay eyes on me. All I see coming off every denizen of Nazarick, for a brief second, is utter relief," he explained, his voice far away as she looked shocked before looking down in something close to sadness. "You all act like I'm about to disappear."

"...You're the last one, My Lord," Shalltear answered in a small voice, sounding almost like a child rather than a True Vampire, as she looked to the ground. "We are eternally grateful, Lord Momonga, that you remain to grace us with your rule...but it's hard to quiet the terror in our hearts. That one day, we will drive you away, that you will find Nazarick wanting-"

 **"SHALLTEAR BLOODFALLEN!"**

The guardian of the first three floors jumped back with a primordial terror running through her undead body. She stared up at Momonga, seeing his form covered in a shroud of deathly black power. She was too terrified to even speak, feeling as though he was growing taller over her shrinking form. He was angry, wrathful even, and it was all her fault...!

He let out a sigh of frustration, his power disappearing with sagging shoulders. "I'm sorry, Shalltear. I'm not angry at you, just at that thought," he assured, looking up to the stars as he gave Shalltear a moment to calm her nerves. "I have been around...for a long time, Shalltear. And Nazarick is the second greatest thing that ever happened to me. I admit, I may have to leave every now and again, but it would be temporarily. I have no intention of ever abandoning this masterpiece my old comrades made alongside me." he rambled off with a lost, fond tone to his voice.

"...Lord Momonga," Shalltear said with glistening eyes, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Forgive this foolish one, to have doubted your kind heart."

"..." Grim paused before looking back at her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Shalltear, you have all lost the most important people in your existences for reasons beyond your understanding, repeatedly. It is the instinct of all creatures that suffer something so unpleasant to fear and safeguard against a repeat of such suffering. And in the face of constant lose, to accept lose as inevitable even when it is not," he comforted her warmly. If he could explain even half the things to the NPCs, he would, but it was something hard to put in words that they would properly understand. After all, he didn't need them getting existential crises with how powerful some of them were.

Shalltear could have been balling by the sheer magnanimous nature of her lord's heart, but she kept it together through a compulsion to to ask something. "M-may I ask...what the single greatest thing has been for you, My Lord?" she inquired, trying to keep her unladylike sniffle at bay.

Grim smiled even brighter and she couldn't help feeling a bit envious at the unknown cause. "The only thing that to protect, I'd ever consider abandon Nazarick for," he answered before looking off again. "You're welcome to stay or leave, but I should get some more practice in."

Shalltear nodded, retreating to a safe distance to watch her lord work _. 'Something Lord Momonga treasures above every and all things. Something so important, he does not wish to even speak of it,'_ Shalltear thought, unable to stop smiling. _'Something Nazarick must safeguard at all costs, if he deigns to reveal it to us. Or who it is, perhaps? After all, we live now for your happiness, Lord Momonga.'_

Grim wondered if he revealed too much to her, but it proved a few things. Namely that everyone in Nazarick had some decent memories before all of this, to remember all of his guild mates and to recall being saddened by their loss. It showed just how deep their bonds went with their creators, and the rest of the guild by extension. He didn't blame his guildmates for "hurting" their creations, really. Unless he was wrong, the NPC's memories were retroactive, forming from whatever magic had made their data into flesh. There had been nothing to hurt prior to his arrival in this world. And even if they had been real, there would be no way to possible know.

He had thought to reveal some of this to Albedo, but...she could be what Junior called a "Yandere," and he didn't want to risk her plotting to take the space of the "greatest thing that ever happened to him."

Of course, it might help if clear things up if he explained that the "thing" in question was his son, but he wanted to save that surprise a bit longer.

 _'Hope ye're doin okay, Junior. Gunna be a little while still be fer I can try ta fin a way home wid me powas like dis.'_

 **End of Chapter**

Happy Late-Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays, and Mery Christmas everyone!

Okay, this is mostly a slice of life chapter, but its already showing all the ways things are branching out. Grim is aware of the war ahead of time, and he's bonding with the NPCs. He is well aware that he needs to reign in Demiurge and Albedo at times.

Not much else to say. Things pick up next chapter when Carne Village happens, but don't worry- this won't be a rehash of canon events. After all, why would Death be interested in saving a random village?

PS I left 2ni's appearance unmentinoed for a reason: Everyone gets to recommend who she is as a xover cameo!


End file.
